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For months, the authorities deny chromium pollution in the Pearl River basin
Independent tests show high concentration of chromium in the Nanpan River and surrounding areas. For months, the authorities denied there was a problem. Subsequent studies are reported online. Five people are arrested in connection with a major illegal spill.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Tests show high concentrations of chromium in the Nanpan River, a tributary that flows into the Pearl River basin. Farmland and drinking water along its course also show high level of toxic pollution, something the authorities have denied for a long time, despite complaints made online.
Lab tests done for Greenpeace China show that samples collected near the Yunnan Luliang Chemical Industry factory in Qujing contain high levels of hexavalent chromium, 0.204 milligrams per litre to be more precise, more than double the national standard.
However, this is nothing new. Heavy metals have been found in the ground for a long time. In one case, the level in soil samples taken from a farm was 162 times higher than the national standard. Water samples from a nearby spring used for irrigation had 24.25 milligrams of chromium per litre, making the land unsuitable for farming.
Yunnan is a major producer of vegetables and other farm produce, especially for Guangdong and Hong Kong.
The World Health Organisation recommends a maximum limit of 0.05 milligrams per litre of drinking water.
Environmental protection authorities in South China's Guangdong province said on 13 August that no chromium pollution has been detected in a major river.
However, posts on weibo.com, a popular Chinese microblogging site, cited a report that said over 5,000 metric tonnes of chromium-contaminated waste were illegally dumped between the end of April and June in three different locations.
In Qujing, local environmental officials began investigating the affair but have not yet reported any findings.
The problem came to the attention of local authorities on 12 June, when 77 livestock were reported dead from drinking water in a pond and a small reservoir.
As of 17 June, local authorities said they had completed the clean-up work for the chromium compound waste and polluted soil.
Greenpeace's Ma Tianjie said the picture is grimmer than the one reported by the government, which has done little to protect residents from exposure to heavy metals for decades. In fact, “We know that chromium has seeped underground, but we don't know how deep it goes,” he explained.